Adjustable discharge slide for cotton feeders



T. ELLIOTT 1.721,380

ADJUSTABLE DISCHARGE SLIDE FOR COTTON F-EEDERS July 16, 1929.

Filed June 27, 1927' v 2 Sheets-Sheet l 6 l .MY ill/11 T. ELLlO' l'T 1,721,380

July 16} 1929.

ADJUSTABLE DISCHARGE SLIDE' FOR COTTON FEEDERS a Filed June 27, 1927 v I I F 21 v 22$ I 14 2%25 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mnmtov.

ThomasE/liott v Guam 7 Patented July 16, 1929.

THOMAS ELLIOTT, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOB TO CONTINENTAL GIN COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ADJUSTABLE DISCHARGE SLIDE FOR COTTON FEEDERS.

Application filed June 27, 1927. Serial No. 201,875;

My invention relates to a slide, for delivering cotton from feeders to huller g1ns, wh1ch is adjustable for the purpose of dehverlng the cotton either into the inner or outer roll box of the gin.

In delivering the cotton from feeders to huller gins it is desirable that the slide down which the cotton passes from the feeder to the gin should be adapted to deliver the cotton either into the inner or ginning roll box when the cotton is clean, or into the outer or huller roll box when the cotton has hulls and trash therein which it is desired to remove before the cotton passes into the inner or ginning rollbox. Heretofore, adjust-able slides have been hinged at their upper ends and various means have been provided to swing them about their hinges so that they will deliver into the inner or outer roll box as may be desired, but such an arrangement is obj ectionable because if the chute is hinged in proper position to deliver into the inner roll box and at the same time to clear the gin breast when raised, its discharge end will stand too high when the slide is swung outwardly into position to discharge into the outer roll box. If, on the other hand it be hinged so that, when swung to the outer position, it is in correct position for delivering into the outer roll box, it will, when swung down to deliver into the inner roll box, come into position to interfere with the rising of the gin breast. I propose to overcome this difliculty by mounting the chute on adjustable pivots and adapt ingit to telescope about the discharge end of the feeder, as a result of which its delivery end can be brought into the desiredrelation for feeding into either the inner or outer roll boxes while clearing the gin breast when raised.

Another object of my invention is to simplify and perfect a rocking support for the chute which will hold it in alignment and control its movements 011 its sliding pivots.

A further feature of my invention has relation to the provision at the discharge end of the chute of a hinged gate adapted to be set to intercept any material passing down the chute after the feed rolls of the feeder have been stopped, thereby to prevent cotton pass ing from the slide into the gin while the breast is raised. In an application. filed by me on November 20th, 1926, Serial No. 141.9,769, I show a fixed slide having such a gate with an automatic operating connection therefrom to the gin breast. Such an arrangement is obviously not adapted to an adjustable slide and accordingly one object of my present invention is to equip an adjustable slide with such a gate which is operable by hand and held by spring means in either open or closed position. The operator, at the same time'that he stops the feed rolls with one hand can, with the other, raise such a gate and prevent any cotton falling from the slide after the gin breast has been. raised. I

My invention also comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts, which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specifi'ca-V tion, and in which Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, showing a portion of a feeder with my improved adjustable slide shown in its outermost position for feeding into the outer rollerbreast.

Fig. 2is a corresponding view showing the slide adjusted to inner position to feeding directly into the ginning breast.

Fig. 3 is an end detail view of the slide.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the slide.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View of the slide taken on the line VV of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5, showing the end gate in raised position.

Similar reference numerals refer to similarv parts throughout the drawings.

a In the embodiment of my invention illus-v trated in the drawings, I show conventionally a feeder 7 having a discharge hood 8 which deliversthe cotton from the feeder to an adjustable slide 9 which has side wallslO dis posed-to telescope about the side wallsof the hood 8.- It-will be noted that the hood hasa discharge lip 11 which overhangs and is spaced substantially above the slide 9, thereby permitting the latter to be shifted from the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein it isin position to discharge into the outer roller breast 5, to that shown in Fig. 2, wherein it is in position to discharge directly into the ginning breast (3, without interfering with the hood 8 or lip 11, and in both positions the slide will receive the cotton from the feeder hood. The bottom and side walls of the slide converge toward an end gate 12 connected by hinges 13 to the dischargc end of the slide and adapted to swing from the plane of the sitio'n to feed into the inner roll box.

rocker support for the slide is formed by the slide to a plane substantially at right angles thereto, as seen more clearly in Figs. 5 and 6. The chute has two cleats 14 under its bottom which have aligning holes at their upper ends to receive an adjustable pivot rod 15 that projects through and works loosely in the slots 16 in the feeder legs 17, such rod carrying suitable cotter keys and washers to hold it in position in the slots. The feeder legs have a forwardly extending slide rest 18 which slide 9 engages when adjusted into pobent rod 19 which is pivotally mounted in a groove 20 in each feeder leg and has its overhung end out-turned at 21 and then bent in wardly at 22. The ends 22 are engaged in the cleats 1 1 at each side, see Fig. 3. The rod 15) extends from side to side and provides a single rigid rocker support which prevents lateral play in the slide as it is adjusted.

I provide the gate 12 with spring means to hold it either in line with, or at right angles to, the slide 9, which means preferably com prises a bracket 23 attached to the underside of the gate and has connected thereto the angled end of'a rod 24 which extends through an angled bracket 25 attached to the underside of the slide. The bracket 25 has an opening through which the rod 24 passes, and a coil spring 26 surrounds the rod and is inter posed between the bracket and a washer or spring seat 27 at the outer end of the rod. The tension of this spring will act 011 the rod to hold the gate in line with the slide until the gate is raised, when the rod which is free to cook in following the gate, will move past dead center position and responsive to the action of the spring will then hold the gate in its open position.

In operation, having mounted the slide on the feeder legs, it will be seen that it is free to be adjusted on its rocking supports 21 in either its inner or outer position and that in moving to inner position its pivot 15 shifts from the lower to the upper end of the slot 16, thereby permitting the discharge end of the slide to assume proper position'for delivering into the inner roll box and at the same time to be high enough to clear the gin breast as it is raised. I thus in a very simple'manner obtain an adjustable slide suitable for use with huller gins and when it is desired to stop the feed of cotton down the slide it is only necessary for the operator to grasp and raise the gate 12, which he can do simultaneously with the raising of the ginbreast and the stopping of the feeder and which will prevent any cotton falling from the slide after the gin breast is open.

Though I have described with. great particularity the details of the embodiment of the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution of equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In combination, an adjustable slide for cotton feeders, a'rocker support for the slide disposed to rock on both sides of its pivotal vertical plane and as it rocks to bodily shift the slide to its inner and outer operating positions. I

2. In combination, an adjustable slide for cotton feeders, rocking supports for the slide adapted to shift it to its inner and outer feeding positions, and a sliding pivot for the slide adapted to limit its shifting movements.

3. The combination with a cotton feeder having a discharge hood, of a slide having bottom and side walls adapted to telescope the bottom and side walls of the hood, and means to support the slide in its inner and outer operating positions with its discharge end at substantially the same level.

1. An adjustable slide according to claim 3, in which the mounting means comprise feeder legs having a pivot for the slide and slots in. which said pivot is adjustable, and a U-shaped slide supporting rocker mounted on the legs and having its upturned legs engaging the slide.

5. The combination with a cotton feeder slide, of a hand operable gate at its discharge end and means to hold said gate in open or closed position, said means comprising a spring-pressed angled rod mounted on-the slide and connected to the underside of the gate in position to swing past dead center, as the gate is moved from one to another of its operating positions, whereby the rod yieldingly holds the gate in its last operating position.

6. An adjustable slide for cotton feeders comprising a hood, a downwardly inclined chute for receiving cotton from the hood, a slidable support for one end of the chute, and a pivoted arm support for the other end of the chute, said arm being positioned to be oscillated to advance and retract the chute with respect to the hood.

7. In a feed chute for selectively delivering cotton from a feeder box into the inner and outer roll box of a gin, a feeder hood, a downwardly inclined chute positioned to receive cotton from the hood, a sliding support for the upper end of the chute, and a pivoted arm support for the lower end of the chute, said arm having an arc of oscillation extending to opposite sides of its vertical pivotal plane.

8. In a feed chute for selectively delivering cotton from a feeder box into the inner and outer roll box of a gin, a feeder hood, a downwardly inclined chute positionedto receive cotton from the hood, a sliding support for the upper end of the chute, a supporting frame member beneath the chute, and an arm pivoted on the frame member and the lower end of the chute, said arm having an arc of 5 oscillation extending to opposite sides of its pivotal vertical plane.

9. In a feed chute for selectively delivering cotton from a feeder box into the inner and outer roll box of a gin, a feeder hood, a

10 downwardly inclined chute positioned to receive cotton from the hood, a supporting pin connection between the upper end of the chute and the frame member to permit bodily shifting of the chute With respect to the hood, an arm pivoted on the frame member and the lower end of the chute, said arm having an arc of oscillation extending to opposite sides of its pivotal vertical plane.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature THOMAS ELLIOTT.

frame member beneath the chute, a slot and 

